Caregiver Background Checks Remain Critical in the Care of At-Risk Populations; States CriminalBackgroundRecords.com

Caregiver Background Checks Remain Critical in the Care of At-Risk Populations; States CriminalBackgroundRecords.com

“Caring for and defending at-risk populations is a critical aspect of modern society and thorough criminal background checks are important tools that must be utilized during the vetting process,” states Adam Almeida, President and CEO of CriminalBackgroundRecords.com. Background checks are generally based on public records and references and, subsequently provide an immediate and unique snapshot of an individual’s past.

Challenges continue to exist for at-risk populations, specifically the elderly and young children, and examples continue to appear on the headlines almost daily.

A recent investigation in New York State revealed that several employees of a nursing facility had been convicted of felonies prior to being hired to work with the elderly.

An expert commented on the situation on August 4, 2017 in a WKBW report (WKBW.com; Aug 04, 17):

“Nurses, and especially people working in nursing home facilities, are working with some of the most vulnerable of our population,” ... “We’re talking about elderly people, people with dementia, people with memory issues, people who are most susceptible to economic crimes and to physical abuse, and people who cannot necessarily speak up for themselves because they’re in this vulnerable position in a nursing home.” (1)

Almeida states: “It is critical that hiring managers for caregiver facilities work with third-party pre-employment background screening agencies in order to remain fully compliant with existing laws on a local, state, and federal level. As caregiver facilities operate under a variety of laws governed by a variety of difference agencies.”

In Illinois local police arrested a caregiver on felony charges.

From the Daily Herald (dailyherald.com; Apr. 17, 17):

A Wauconda woman is facing multiple felony charges alleging she stole from a Barrington senior she was hired to care for, police said Monday. (2)

Based on the story in the Daily Herald this is not the first time this individual had been arrested of allegations of theft against the elderly.

The Daily Herald states that “this is the second time {the defendant} has been arrested on charges she stole from people she was hired to care for. In May 2016, she was charged with aggravated identity theft, unlawful possession of a credit card and theft from a senior living community in Barrington…” (3)

An elderly man in Tacoma, Washington was allegedly robbed of his savings by a caregiver as he lay on his deathbed.

From KOMONEWS (komonews.com; no date given):

A Tacoma man on his deathbed, desperate to make the most of his final days became the target of a caregiver hired to ease his family's burden. (4)

Almeida concludes: “Strong, thorough pre-employment background checks on all caregivers should be an absolute must. A thorough background check can include public records such as criminal history records, department of motor vehicles check, consumer credit report, social security number trace as well as reference checks on education and previous employment. More importantly this important work should be done by a well-qualified third-party pre-employment background screening company, one well versed in aspects of law.”

CriminalBackgroundRecords.com is a third-party background screening company with highly trained operators well versed in the needs and requirements of companies and organizations large and small utilizing public records, such as criminal records, as part of a hiring process. Assisting companies in maintaining full compliance under the law is a central tenet of all client relationships with CriminalBackgroundRecords.com